Academic Success

Keep track of your grades through the class syllabus and points you earn
throughout the term. For info on how to calculate your grade based on a
percentile system, click here. For info on how to calculate your grade based on a points system, click here.​ Keeping track of your progress, self-monitoring and understanding how to meet the expectations of an authority figure are important skills for life after DePaul. Employers expect employees to possess these skills.

If you're struggling with class content, always reach out to your
professor and go to office hours. Keep going to office hours and work with your professor(s) until you're able to grasp the material. In addition, use these free tutoring services:

First Year Academic Success
(free, zero-credit classes to help boost your confidence and meet
prerequisite requirements without using up your open electives - WRD
102, MAT 94, 95, 100, 101, 130 - available summer and December
intersession)

Community

Successfully navigating academic life includes the ability to
navigate bureaucracy. Understanding who does what, why and how is an
important life skill that will serve you well in and out of college. Our
university community is comprised of many individual units all working
to live the Mission and Vision of DePaul University. Below are some links and information to help you better acclimate to our DePaul community.

Review these additional articles for more ideas on how to develop rapport with faculty. Though your professors are not actually your supervisors, you may experience less transitional stress from student to full-time employee if you sometimes think of them as your supervisors and behave accordingly: APA, USNews, Forbes

We have a wealth of resources at DePaul! Check the Student Affairs website for resources related to student life. Check your major/program's
department/office website for resources related to your major/program.
Check the department/center website and/or syllabus for resources
related to a class/subject you are taking/need help with. If you have
difficulty finding a department, center or staff/faculty contact info,
try the DePaul Directory. The Student Success website also provides linkes to a variety of resources to help support student success at DePaul.

Well, this can depend on the type of assistance you need. However, your staff advisor is a good first step, as s/he is likely able to point you in the right direction.

Your ability to answer this simple, yet complex question for
yourself is an important life skill you can hone while in college. Learn more about how to seek academic assistance by reviewing this. Break down your needs to ascertain next steps.

What kind of help do you need?

Who is likely to be in a position/have the authority/have access to what you need to help you?

Who/what type of person/office is likely to "own"/be responsible for this type of resource or information​?

Many online resources exist to help you more successfully request a
letter of recommendation or reference. Here are a few tips to start you
off.

Establish rapport with the person. Anyone you ask for a letter
of recommendation/reference should feel comfortable writing you this
letter due to his/her experiences with you.

Give several weeks advance notice. You demonstrate professionalism,
courtesy and organization when you make a request far in advance of the
deadline. Conversely, you demonstrate a lack of these qualities when
you do not and may therefore decrease your chances of obtaining a
quality letter of recommendation.

Review this student behavior checklist to ascertain whether or not you've set yourself up to receive a quality letter of recommendation.

As difficult as it may feel now, learning how to manage conflict in
college is one of the many ways to make the most of your college experience. The type of conflict you experience in college will most likely be experienced out
of college, too.

For example:

classmate not doing her share of the team project....coworker not doing his share of the team project

not understanding what an instructor wants from you/for assignments....not understanding what a supervisor wants from you

college roommate is too clingy, but you don't want to hurt his
feelings....coworker/colleague is too clingy, but you don't want to hurt
her feelings

disagree on how to complete class project....disagree on how to complete work project

Consult your advisors or other university employees (e.g., Student Affairs employees) for guidance on
how to handle difficult situations. Discuss what you did, how you did
it, why you did it that way and receive feedback about the experience. You'll strengthen
your relationships with these professionals by seeking their feedback
and you'll gain insight into how you may choose to handle conflict in
the future.

Read books such as Difficult Conversations and watch online videos such as this (log-in required) to learn more about how to manage conflict.